New Arrivals/Restock

Title: Bjornstad: Chasing the Wind
Artist: Ketil Bjornstad
Label: Simax Classics
Product Type: COMPACT DISCS
UPC: 7033662014118
Genre: Classical Artists
Release Date: 2025-01-03
Number of Discs: 1

On February the 10th, 2024, Ketil Bjornstad's «Chasing the Wind» premiered in Oslo Cathedral, filled to capacity, featuring a mighty choir of hundred singers accompanied by a stellar lineup of musicians. The text is an adapted version of the Bible's Ecclesiastes, a philosophical reflection on the meaning of life - or interpreted: the lack of meaning in life. A text as relevant today, as when it was first written. The concert was met with rave reviews, and on October 18th 2024, it will be available on a double CD, including the concert recording and Bjornstad's piano sketches of the work.In 1992, Ketil Bjornstad composed "Mass for a Wounded Earth." It premiered at Frogner Church, and Erik Hillestad and KKV released the album. Hillestad wrote the text for the mass. In the years that followed, Bjornstad often thought about Ecclesiastes, with some amazement that these fantastic and existential texts had not previously caught the attention of choirs, festivals, or concert organisers. Were they too powerful? Too ruthless?In 2019, the opportunity arose when Catharina Jacobsen, Bjornstad's wife, asked if Ketil could compose something new for her own choir, the Nordstrand Music Society Choir. Both had heard baritone singer Brynjar Onsoien perform Vaughan Williams' "Songs of Travel" during a Christmas concert with the choir, and his voice and delivery left a strong impression. Neither Catharina nor Ketil forgot Brynjar's powerful baritone, and when the Covid pandemic arrived in Norway for real, Catharina sat down and edited the Bible texts, focusing particularly on their existential aspect. Ketil shares:- When she showed me what she had done, I was deeply inspired by reading the text's mixture of intimacy, warning, comfort and monumentality. My mind was still on Herbert Blomstedt and the Oslo Philharmonic's performance of Bach's St John Passion, along with Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5, and under the influence of these powerful sources of inspiration the cantata Chasing the Wind began to take form as a dialogue between the Teacher and Humanity.In August 2023, Bjornstad went to producer and engineer Mike Hartung at Propeller Studio. He played through the entire work on the Bechstein grand piano. The piano sketches later served as support for the singers and musicians during rehearsals. The sketches developed their own dynamic and are included in part 2 of "Chasing the Wind."With the Nordstrand Music Society Choir as the base choir, new singers were invited to join an expanded project choir of over a hundred members through the Norwegian Choir Association Oslo-Akershus, which also supported the project financially and practically. Bjornstad reached out to musicians he had previously worked with, as well as new ones he was curious about.Ketil concludes:- We held the world premiere of Chasing the Wind at the Oslo Cathedral, filled to capacity, on 10th of February this year. Brynjar stood in the pulpit. The mighty choir, featuring singers aged from eight to eighty, filled the space in front of the altar. It was cold outside. The world was at war on several fronts, and the texts struck us all both as a fist and as a consolation:- "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up."

Tracks:
1.1 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Alt er tomhet (Everything Is Meaningless)
1.2 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Forkynneren vil granske livet (Explore By Wisdom)
1.3 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Visdom og dårskap (Wisdom And Folly)
1.4 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Alt har sin tid (A Time For Everything)
1.5 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Tid og evighet (Time And Eternity)
1.6 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Urett og dårskap (Injustice And Folly)
1.7 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Det er bedre å være to enn en / Two Are Better Thon One
1.8 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Livet er omskiftelig (Advancement Is Meaningless)
1.9 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Vær ikke for snar med munnen (Speech Of A Fool)
1.10 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Rikdom kan bli ulykke (Riches Are Meaningless)
1.11 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Hør nå hva jeg har funnet! (What I Have Observed)
1.12 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Hva er visdom (What Is Wisdom?)
1.13 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Klokt måtehold (Moderation)
1.14 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Hvem kan finne sammenheng (Connexion)
1.15 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Mennesket kan ikke fatte Guds verk (The Work Of God)
1.16 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Alle får samme skjebne (A Common Destiny For All)
1.17 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Den fattiges visdom blir foraktet (Poor Man's Wisdom)
1.18 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Ordtak om visdom og dårskap (Sayings About Wisdom And Folly)
1.19 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Dåren bruker mange ord (Words Of Fools)
1.20 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Du vet ikke hva som vil lykkes (Which Will Succeed?)
1.21 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Gled deg! (Enjoy!)
1.22 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Tenk på din skaper (Remember Your Creator)
1.23 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind)~Alt har sin tid (There is a time for everything)
2.1 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Alt er tomhet (Everything Is Meaningless)
2.2 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Forkynneren vil granske livet (Explore By Wisdom)
2.3 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Visdom og dårskap (Wisdom And Folly)
2.4 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Alt har sin tid (A Time For Everything)
2.5 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Tid og evighet (Time And Eternity)
2.6 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Urett og dårskap (Injustice And Folly)
2.7 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Det er bedre å være to enn én (Two Are Better Than One)
2.8 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Livet er omskiftelig (Advancement Is Meaningless)
2.9 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Vær ikke for snar med munnen (Speech Of A Fool)
2.10 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Rikdom kan bli ulykke (Riches Are Meaningless)
2.11 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Hør nå hva jeg har funnet! (What I Have Observed)
2.12 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Hva er visdom (What Is Wisdom?)
2.13 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Klokt måtehold (Moderation)
2.14 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Hvem kan finne sammenheng (Connexion)
2.15 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Mennesket kan ikke fatte Guds verk (The Work Of God)
2.16 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Alle får samme skjebne (A Common Destiny For All)
2.17 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Den fattiges visdom blir foraktet (Poor Man's Wisdom)
2.18 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Ordtak om visdom og dårskap (Sayings About Wisdom And Folly)
2.19 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Dåren bruker mange ord (Words Of Fools)
2.20 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Du vet ikke hva som vil lykkes (Which Will Succeed?)
2.21 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Gled deg! (Enjoy!)
2.22 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Tenk på din skaper (Remember Your Creator)
2.23 Jag Etter Vind (Chasing the Wind) (Sketches)~Alt har sin tid (There is a time for everything)